WOLF PACK UNLEASHED: ANTON BLIDH
Jun 26, 2025HARTFORD, CT – The most impactful buzzer beater in Hartford in recent memory came on Mar. 2, 2023. Just prior to the NHL’s annual trade deadline, the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche agreed to a trade that saw Anton Blidh come to the Rangers in exchange for Gustav Rydahl.
Blidh, on an expiring contract at the time, would quickly become a driving force for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Now, after signing a two-year extension with the Rangers on Apr. 8, the veteran Swedish forward is set for his fourth season in the Connecticut capital.
For Blidh, there is no place he would rather be.
“Honestly, it was a pretty easy decision,” he said when asked of his decision to re-sign for a second time with the organization. “I’ve really enjoyed my time in Hartford. The organization has been great to me since day one. I feel like I’ve developed a lot here, both on and off the ice, and I believe there’s still more room to grow. The coaching staff, my teammates, and the fans have made it feel like home. I’m excited to keep building with this group and help push things forward over the next two years. “
Blidh’s growth in Hartford was apparent during the 2024-25 season. He shattered his career-high of 13 goals by lighting the lamp 19 times for the Wolf Pack. He also set career best marks in assists (17), points (36), and penalty minutes (109) over the course of 71 games. Those 71 games were the second most he has played in a single season in his career.
“I think things clicked this year and I felt confident and comfortable this season,” he said of his on-ice success. “That made a big difference in how I approached the game. More importantly, I had great support from my teammates. We had really strong chemistry on and off the ice. When you’re playing with guys you click with, and a group that believes in each other, it brings out the best in you.”
Blidh spent the majority of the season playing with winger Alex Belzile and centers Bo Groulx and Nathan Sucese. That said, he also spent a large chunk of time with rookie center Dylan Roobroeck. Roobroeck led the Wolf Pack with 20 goals after spiking in the season’s second half with Blidh on his wing.
The Mölnlycke, SWE, native wasn’t just a positive for Roobroeck on the ice. He’s a leader in the room that players like Roobroeck, and fellow Europeans Adam Sýkora and Jaroslav Chmelař, look up to and lean on. It’s a role that Blidh takes a lot of pride in.
“It means a lot to me,” he said of being someone that young players both look up to and lean on. “I was in a new country alone when I was 19, I know how tough it can be to come into pro hockey and try to find your place.
“I try to be someone they can talk to, whether it’s about the game or handling the day-to-day. On the ice, I like sharing little things I’ve learned over the years and using situations as teaching moments like the older guys did for me. If I can help a younger guy feel more confident in his game or make a smoother transition, that’s something I take a lot of pride in. We’re all part of the same team, and if they’re getting better, we’re getting better as a team.”
Getting better as a team will be the goal entering the 2025-26 season. After back-to-back appearances in the Atlantic Division Finals in Blidh’s first two years with the club, the Wolf Pack failed to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs this past spring.
A fiery veteran whose top priority is winning, Blidh knows the work can’t wait until the games begin in October. It starts with offseason workouts, and then really ramps up when training camp kicks off in September.
“Last season was definitely tough for all of us, and it didn’t end the way we hoped. That makes training camp even more important because it’s a fresh start—a chance to reset mentally and physically,” he said.
“For both the team and I, setting a strong tone early helps build confidence and momentum right from the start. It’s about focusing on what we can control, working hard, getting better every day, and coming together as a group.”
Entering the free agent window, Blidh is the lone player who appeared in a game with the Wolf Pack last season who is both under contract and a veteran by the AHL’s development rule standards.
Not only will he be a player leaned on for production on the ice by Head Coach Grant Potulny, but he’ll be one of the club’s leaders in the room as the Wolf Pack look to return to the playoffs in the spring of 2026.
Join the Wolf Pack for the 2025-26 season! Renew your membership now or learn more about becoming a ‘Pack Member’ here.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at PeoplesBank Arena. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Will Cuylle, and Matt Rempe. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.